King. How well he's read, to reafon against reading!
Dum. Proceeding well, to ftop all good proceeding.
Long. He weeds the corn, and ftill let's grow the
weeding.

Biron. The fpring is near, when green geese are a
breeding.

Dum. How follows that?

Biron. Fit in his place and time.

Dum. In reafon nothing.

Biron. Something then in rhime.

Long. Biron is like an envious fneaping froft,
That bites the first-born infants of the spring.
Biron. Well; fay, I am; why should proud fum-
mer boaft,

Before the birds have any caufe to fing?
Why should I joy in an abortive birth?
At Christmas I no more defire a rose,

Than wish a snow in May's new-fangled fhows:
But like of each thing, that in seafon grows.
So you, to ftudy now it is too late,

Climb o'er the houfe t'unlock the little gate.

King. Well, fit you out-Go home, Biron: Adieu! Biron. No, my good lord, I've fworn to stay with

you.

And though I have for barbarism spoke more,
Than for that angel knowledge you can say;

ing is abfurd and impertinent. There are two Ways of fetting it right. The first is to read it thus,

Too much to know, is to know nought but shame;

This makes a fine Sense, and alludes to Adam's Fall, which came from the inordinate Paffion of knowing too much. The other Way is

to read, and Point it thus,

As

Too much to know, is to know nought: but feign, i. e, to feign. much as to fay, the Affcating to know too much is the Way to know nothing. The Senfe, in both these Readings, is equally good: But with this Difference; if we read the firft Way, the following Line is impertinent; and to fave the Correction we must judge it spurious. If we read it the fecond Way, then the following Line completes the Senfe. Confequently the Correction of feign is to be preferred.

Yet

Yet confident I'll keep what I have fwore,
And 'bide the penance of each three years' day.
Give me the paper, let me read the fame;
And to the ftrict'ft decrees I'll write my name.
King. How well this yielding rescues thee from
fhame!

Biron. Item, That no woman fhall come within a

Long. Marry, that did I.

Biron. Sweet lord, and why?

Long. To fright them hence with that dread penalty.

Biron A dangerous law againft gentility!

Item, [reading.] If any man be feen to talk with a woman within the term of three Years, he fhall endure fuch public fhame as the rest of the Court can poffibly devife.

ار

This article, my liege, yourself must break;

For, well you know, here comes in embaffy The French King's daughter with yourself to fpeak, A maid of grace and complete majesty,

About Surrender up of Aquitain

To her decripit, fick, and bed-rid father: Therefore this article is made in vain,

Or vainly comes th' admired Princefs hither. King. What fay you, lords? why, this was quite forgot.

Biron. So ftudy evermore is overfhot;

While it doth study to have what it would,
It doth forget to do the thing it should:
And when it hath the thing it hunteth most,
'Tis won, as towns with Fire; fo won, fo loft.

King. We muft, of force, dispense with this decree She muft lie here on mere neceffity.

Biron. Neceffity will make us all forfworn

Three thousand times within this three years' fpace:

For every man with his affects is born:

Not by might mafter'd, but by special grace. If I break faith, this word fhall speak for me: I am forfworn on mere neceffity.

So to the laws at large I write my name,

And he, that breaks them in the leaft degree, Stands in Attainder of eternal fhame.

Suggestions are to others, as to me;

But, I believe, although I feem fo loth,
I am the last that will laft keep his oath.
But is there no quick recreation granted?
King. Ay, that there is; our Court, you know, is
haunted

With a refined traveller of Spain,

A man in all the world's new fashion planted,.
That hath a mint of phrafes in his brain:
One, whom the mufic of his own vain tongue
Doth ravifh, like inchanting harmony:
A man of compliments, whom right and wrong
Have chofe as umpire of their mutiny.
This child of fancy, that Armado hight,

For interim to our Studies, fhall relate
In high born words the worth of many a Knight
From tawny Spain, loft in the world's debate.
How you delight, my lords, I know not, I;
But, I proteft, I love to hear him lie;
And I will ufe him for my minftrelfy.

Biron. Armado is a moft illuftrious wight,

}

A man of fire-new words, fafhion's own Knight. Long. Coftard the fwain, and he, fhall be our fport; And, fo to ftudy, three years are but short,

SCENE

Dull.

WHIC

7HICH is the King's own perfon? Biron. This, fellow; what would'ft? Dúll. I myself reprehend his own perfon, for I am his Grace's Tharborough: but I would fee his own perfon in flesh and blood.

Biron. This is he.

Dull. Signior Arme,

Armecommends you. There's villany abroad; this letter will tell you more. 1. Coft. Sir, the Contempts thereof are as touching

me.

King. A letter from the magnificent Armado.

Biron. How low foever the matter, I hope in God for high words.

Long. A high hope for a low having; God grant us patience!

Biron. To hear, or forbear hearing?

Long. To hear meekly, Sir, to laugh moderately, or to forbear both.

Biron. Well, Sir, be it as the Stile fhall give us caufe to climb in the merrinefs.

Coft. The matter is to me, Sir, as concerning Jaquenetta.

The manner of it is, I was taken in the manner.
Biron. In what manner?

Caft. In manner and form, following, Sir; all those three. I was feen with her in the Manor-house, fitting with her upon the Form, and taken following her into the park; which, put together, is, in manner and form following. Now, Sir, for the manner : it is the manner of a man to speak to a woman; for the form, in fome form.

Biron. For the following, Sir?

Coft. As it fhall follow in my correction; and God defend the right!

N 4

King.

King. Will you hear the letter with attention?
Biron. As we would hear an oracle.

Coft. Such is the fimplicity of man to hearken after the flesh.

King reads. GREAT deputy, the welkin's vice-gerent, and fole dominator of Navarre, my foul's

earth's God, and body's foftring patron

Coft. Not a word of Goftard yet.

King. So it is

Coft. It may be fo; but if he fay it is fo, he is, in telling true, but so, so.

King. Peace

Coft. Be to me, and every man that dares not fight! King. No words

Coft. Of other men's fecrets, I beseech you.

King. So it is, Befieged with fable-coloured melancholy, I did commend the black oppreffing humour to the most wholeJome phyfic of thy health-giving air; and as I am a gentleman, betook myself to walk: The time, when? about the fixth hour, when beafts moft graze, birds beft peck, and men fit down to that nourishment which is call'd fupper: fo much for the time, when. Now for the ground, which: which, I mean, I walkt upon; it is ycleped. thy park. Then for the place, where; where, I mean, I did encounter that obfcene and most preposterous event, that draweth from my fnow-white pen the ebon-colour'd ink, which here thou vieweft, beholdeft, furveyeft, or feeft. But to the place, where; It ftandeth north-north-eaft and by east from the west corner of thy curious-knotted garden. There did I fee that low-fpirited fwain, that bafe minow of thy mirth, (Coft. Me?) that unletter'd small-knowing foul, (Coft. Me?) that fhallow vaffal, (Coft. Still me?) which, as I remem ber, hight Coftard; (Coft. O me !) forted and conforted, contrary to thy established proclaimed edict and continent canon, with, with, O with,- but with this I paffion

to say wherewith:

Coft. With a wench.

King. With a child of our grandmother Eve, a female ;

or